Home Front
by WontLastTwoDays
Summary: A short multi-chapter fic set after S7. Michonne and Carl are left behind to protect Alexandria until a new mission calls them into action. This story is in honor of all my fellow Richonne fans and our headcannon chats.
1. Chapter 1

"Son, wake up." Rick shook Carl's shoulder lightly. Carl's eyelids started to flutter, he could tell it was before sunrise as the room was still dark.

"Michonne okay," Carl asked in a sleepy voice.

"She's okay. I need your help." Carl sat up in bed as Rick continued, "I need you to come with me. Get dressed meet me by the car."

Carl nodded silently and got up out of bed. Only 5 minutes later he met Rick at the front gate. He carried his gun, knife, and a backpack with him that contained a few provisions. The unstated definition of dressed. He helped his father load several gas cans into the car and got in the passenger seat. Rick nodded at the gate guard to open and got in the driver's seat.

For several miles, there was silence between the two men, in part due to their vigilance looking for herds of walkers in the predawn. But there was more.

"What's on our mind, Carl?"

"It's nothing." Carl was quiet for a few moments more before adding, "Michonne said not to fantasize about losing."

Rick nodded, then encouraged, "but?"

"But we almost lost her."

"I almost lost you too."

Carl turned to look at his father touched by the acknowledgment.

" _Put everything into winning_.' We did and our family and friends came to our aid. _Almost_ didn't happen, Carl. But the future? The future is here, communities fighting together. You, your sister, Michonne, we're all still here. We're here and we're going to fight for our future."

A small smile crept across Carl's face. He wouldn't admit it, but nothing gave him more faith in the future than Rick. Hearing his dad ready for the fight again settled his concerns. Their spirits lifted just in time. In the early morning light, they saw a pile-up of cars ahead to begin the siphoning work. Rick would save the difficult conversation for the drive back.

Michonne greeted the men when they returned. When Carl was out of earshot, she asked Rick, "how'd he take it?"

Rick shrugged, "frustrated, but he understands you need his help to defend this place." The two had decided the night before that Carl should stay behind in Alexandria and not attack the Sanctuary. Carl was known to all the Saviors and therefore a dangerous target.

"How are you doin," Rick asked tenderly as he ran his hand softly down her back. He noted how much he liked the look of her in his worn denim.

Michonne sighed and admitted, "not much better than Carl. This was supposed to be our way."

"It is," Rick said. He heard the disappointment in her voice and he felt it too. He would have liked her by his side in the next attack. But she had already fought hard in this war and her winces and shifting posture still showed it.

"Hey, when we were getting gas, I found an sheriff cruiser. And I picked up a little something for you."

Michonne eyebrows knitted with confusion. Rick handed her a gold five-point star badge with the words, "Deputy Sheriff Alexandria" encircled around the the Great Seal of Virginia.

Michonne smiled as she studied the image of lady Virtus holding her sword and spear standing on her defeated enemy. She read aloud the motto, "Sic Semper Tyrannis. Fitting."

"Yeah, I thought so," Rick grinned.

Michonne reached her arms behind her neck and hissed a bit at the pain.

"Wait a minute," Rick interjected as he reached for the back of her neck to undo the clasp. "What are you doing, hon? You never take this off."

"I know," she replied gathering the necklace in her hand and securing the clasp again. "But, if we are doing this together, then I want this with you."

Rick's breath caught in his throat as she placed the delicate necklace in his calloused palm. He rubbed the gold M between his finger and thumb briefly before placing it in the left breast pocket of his shirt. He kissed her softly in gratitude.

"I love you, deputy," he confessed.

"I know, deputy. I love you too."


	2. Chapter 2

After all the cars heading toward the fight passed through the community gate, Carl closed it and climbed up the guard post. He tried to ignore his anger at being left behind. Rick had explained why, but the decision still smarted. He threw his backpack down on the platform and leaned his rifle against the wall. He was determined to stay up here as long as it took for the fighters to return. He looked out beyond the wall scanning for walkers, since the noise from the caravan was sure to attract interest.

Michonne sat on the ledge of an empty gun shelf. She was supposed to be resting. With Olivia dead and nearly every adult a part of the attack, Michonne decided she would take inventory of the weapons storeroom. She was glad to be doing this work alone because she didn't want others to see how she still needed to lean on something if she was upright. She assumed every bullet taken would be used. When the warriors returned, if they needed to resupply, she would have an accurate count of what was still available. The bullet supply was very low, especially for the rifles. She shook her head, looked down at the clipboard, and started to make notes.

"MICHONNE!"

Michonne jerked up. Pain seared through her body.

"MICHONNE!"

She threw down the clipboard, ignoring the messages of her battered ribs, and ran toward the sound.

"MICHONNE," Barbara screamed running into the pantry. When Barbara caught sight of Michonne in the foyer, she delivered her message, "Judith."

Michonne's eyes widened in horror. Barbara turned to run back, Michonne followed her running with a limped gait as her bruised hip crackled in the joint. Each step toward her family home caused her heart to constrict more. When she stormed into Judith's bedroom she couldn't breathe. There in the crib, where Judith should be taking a nap, was the rust brown wire cat statue.

Michonne screamed enraged at the sight and spun out of the room. Barbara followed after alternating between apology and explanation.

From the guard platform, Carl had heard Michonne's name. He bolted into the house to hear Barbara's apologies quicken to an almost hysteria. He ran up the stairs, taking in Judith's absence and the two women. Michonne's face was steely. She held her katana and an empty bag in one hand and was throwing supplies into the bag with the other.

"I'm coming with you," he declared.

"Go to the armory. Get what we'll need. Barbara, if you want to be helpful, find some food. Carl, meet me at the gate. We'll have to find a car."

Michonne took a big determined breath in her face twisted at the pain and then released. Whatever the state of her healing, her little girl needed her now and Michonne was going to bring her home.

Ten minutes later, Carl and Michonne walked out of the gate in search of a car.

"I have one in mind, but it's 3 miles away in the opposite direction," Michonne said recalling the savior's car she hijacked a few weeks ago.

"Can we risk the detour or should we just look for one on the way," Carl pondered.

"Jadis wants to be found. She would not have left the clue if she didn't. She's not going to hurt Judith because it's Rick she wants. She wants another deal and she doesn't want to be forgotten now that we're at war with Negan without their help. We showed those heapsters that we're going to win and now she's not getting a third when we do. No, we can go for the known car and talk about how you and I are going to get this done."

Carl nodded with determination, "I'm following you."

* * *

Thank you for the feedback. Apologies for the short chapters. I want to get most of the story out before S8.


	3. Chapter 3

As they walked through the woods to find this car Michonne knew of, Carl and Michonne ran through options of attack. Michonne couldn't help but admire how fearless Carl was. Yes, it had almost gotten him killed when he decided to single handedly go after Negan. Now though, as they planned together, she saw he was just as capable of separating his strength and cunning from his recklessness.

"We may still have the element of surprise. For all they know, you died on that roof too. So, I should look like I'm acting alone."

Michonne went to reach for her necklace charm as she weighed the hard choices. Feeling her bare neck, her concern grew. She knew what Rick would say to this idea.

"I'm not saying yes, but if you walked in the front door and made a scene, they would swarm you with this hive thing they do. That could give me a couple of options and buy me time. But if I'm successful at finding Judith, how do we get you out?"

They continued to talk as they finally approached the car. Michonne instructed Carl to load their items in the back seat. She walked over to the passenger seat and inspected the inside for gore. She had not planned on reusing this car and certainly never imagined a new passenger. Carl noticed the fresh grave next to the car as he threw their supplies into the back. He didn't say anything, nor did he need to, he knew Michonne had never lost the fight. The two headed toward Judith.

* * *

Jadis heard yelling and smiled. She sauntered to the source of the sound at front of the heaps. Her face dropped when she saw the younger Grimes.

"Where's my sister?! What did you do with her," Carl yelled hysterically. Tamiel was holding Carl's arms behind his back. Biron held his pack and machete.

Jadis waved her hand like a prom queen and Tamiel released the boy and stepped back. Carl had never seen anything like this place.

"Rick?"

"He's on a mission and I was looking after my sister until you all took her."

"Find us how?"

"My dad's map."

Jadis frowned. She didn't want both of Rick's children. She wanted Rick.

"We wait," Jadis made her decision. She looked at Tamiel and flicked her wrist making an away motion her hand. Tamiel grabbed Carl again and lead him away as he yelled in protest the whole way.

Carl's front had worked perfectly. While everyone was distracted by the arrival, Michonne had decapitated a large guard heapster from behind. She put his loose clothes over her own and dragged the body into some trash to disguise it. As she did so, she heard Carl leaving his vocal trail letting her know where they were taking him in the compound. She tucked her katana in her borrowed clothes and headed for the sound. As she approached Michonne saw Tamiel exiting a storage container and closing the door. Michonne hid behind a blind corner until she passed. She then silently ran over to the container and kicked it firmly once and ran back to her blind corner. Now she would wait.

While she waited, she thought about her new family and how precious they were to her. She hoped Rick stayed safe in battle. If he got back to ASZ early and raced toward the heaps his appearance wouldn't mess up her plan. All the same, she wanted to get this resolved before he had to intervene.

Finally, Jadis and Biron arrived bringing what looked like supplies. They entered the storage container. Michonne pulled a lighter out of her pocket and lit the garbage bag next to her on fire and fanned the flame till it took. Then she ran to the other wall of trash flanking the storage container and lit debris from it on fire. When a thin trail of smoke reached the sky she heard the emergency calls.

"Fire!"

Jadis and Biron ran out of the storage container in a panic. Jadis's last image was of Michonne's bruised face sneering as she stood in front of a wall of building flames. She heard the sound of the sword blade slice her neck. Then she saw red, white, and black as her lifeless body slumped to the ground. Michonne then turned to Biron executing the same punishment. Carl, holding Judith, darted toward Michonne as several heapsters appeared. Michonne stepped in front of Carl her katana drawn, Judith pressed close to her back.

The heapsters were temporarily stunned by the sight. Their walls burning, their leaders dead and staining the ground and an imposter heapster standing before them with a bloody sword.

"Your choice is revenge for Jadis. Or to save your home." As she finished the statement flaming bags began to tumble off the heaping walls.

Immediately one of them called out, "leave." The heapsters ran toward the walls and began trying to smother the spreading flames. Michonne wrapped one arm around Carl squeezing Judith between them and began to walk out hurriedly. No one tried to stop the trio from leaving. To the last heapter, Michonne saw as they left she gave a warning.

"Tell Tamiel, take from Rick. Bother Alexandria. We kill you."

The gaunt woman nodded.

When they were 50 yards from the burning community, Michonne saw the familiar phoenix adorned van barreling toward them. The van screeched to a halt as the rear door popped open and Rick jumped out. Before he could waive the rest of the van passengers out of the van, Michonne held up her hand to stop them.

"It's over. Let's go."

Rick ran over to his family and embraced them all. He pulled them toward the van and once inside told Rosita to get them out of here. Rick looked down at his family in awe. Carl shifted and placed Judith on the bench seat and strapped her seat belt. Michonne, still kneeling on the floor of the van, removed the oversized black patchwork shirt of her victim. She was breathing heavily.

Before she could look up Rick wrapped his arms around her tiny frame and pulled her into him. Michonne buried her head into his shoulder and wrapped her hand around his nape. He smelled of gunsmoke and sweat. She smelled of fire smoke and blood. He peppered her hair, forehead, and shoulder with kisses until Michonne lifted her head to look at him.

"We're the ones," he said to her quietly.

Michonne smiled and let herself collapse into him again. Never letting go, he shifted his weight from sitting on his knees to sitting with his legs crossed. He pulled her into his lap and looked up at Carl. He remembered their conversation from the morning and Carl did too. Pride spread across his face and he was forced to look away from Carl as his eyes began to rim with tears. The two looked out of the back window of the van at nothing in particular and everything.


End file.
